Perceived organizational support and nboarding practices SRT-based: reinforcing the newcomers socialization and engagement in hybrid working conditions

The goal of this project was to understand how the relationship between the perceived organizational support (POS), proposed by the Organization Support theory (OST), and the Onboarding practices presented by the Socialization Resources Theory, could be effective in reinforcing the newcomers socialization and engagement during the first months in the company considering the new hybrid work organization (remote working or smart working). The research project, overall, addressed the following main points: - fill the gap in the literature about the impact of perceived organizational support on the outcomes of the newcomers organizational socialization practices in the context of remote working. - enrich the Onboarding practices for newcomers in the context of remote work through solid theoretical perspectives. Further ambitions were answering the following general questions balancing theoretical and practical approaches: - What are the relationships between organizational support (POS) and socialization outcomes (engagement, stress, SW satisfaction)? And what is its impacts for the newcomers in a remote working environment? - How can Socialization Resources Theory help supporting the engagement of a new hire in a remote working environment? Collectively the finding from the studies, employing both correlational and experimental methodologies, strongly validate the important implications that Percevied organizational Support has on various organizational outcomes, particularly in the realms of Organizational Socialization (OS) and employee engagement. The project also confirms the effectiveness of onboarding practices based on the 17 steps, outlined in Socialization Resources Theory (SRT), enhancing organizational socialization for newcomers in remote work settings compared to traditional and unstructured onboarding methods. An additional result of this research is the confirmation of long-term effectiveness of onboarding practices, following the 17 steps of SRT, in preventing the "hangover effect" among a group of remote-working newcomers followed over the course of one year. Study 1 highlighted that perceived organizational support has effects on increasing Engagement and Smart Working Satisfaction and lowering Work related Stress. This 2 findings: substantial and positive influence of the POS on employees' level of engagement in their work even when they work remotely and the positive impact of POS on remote work satisfaction, declare the importance of POS on the socialization outcomes related to the well-being. Confirming the recent but still few findings from empirical research: supportive work environment, where newcomers feel welcomed and valued, helps reduce stress and anxiety, promoting integration (Bauer et al., 2021), newcomers who perceive strong support from their organization not only adjust better but also develop stronger psychological contracts, increasing their long-term commitment (Ellis et al., 2020). Study 1 shows also that organizational seniority, used as organizational socialization proxy, has positive influence on work engagement and it reduces stress. However, seniority alone did not significantly affect remote work satisfaction in smart working, suggesting that while longer tenure improves engagement and reduces stress, it is not a direct driver of satisfaction ina remote working environment. Senior employees may appreciate the flexibility of remote work, but they may also struggle with the isolation from colleagues and the loss of traditional managerial control (Molino et al., 2020). Study 1 confirms the study conducted by Parker, Knight, and Keller (2020) were job satisfaction in remote work is often dependent on the level of organizational support. Without adequate technological tools and communication channels, senior employees may feel disconnected, reducing overall job satisfaction. Organizational seniority is a practical and often accurate proxy for organizational socialization. The longer an employee stays within an organization, the more they tend to embody its culture, norms, and practices, reflecting deeper socialization. However, organizational socialization is influenced by several factors beyond tenure, such as the employee’s role, the organization's culture, and the effectiveness of socialization processes in place such as Onboarding. Therefore, while seniority is a strong indicator, it should be complemented by other measures when assessing an employee’s socialization level. Perceived organizational support and organizational seniority have a significant impact on engagement, which mediates job satisfaction, highlighting the importance of fostering engagement to sustain employee well-being in remote work environments. In the first study POS was found to be a critical predictor of employee well-being, particularly through its indirect effects. Work engagement and stress fully mediated the relationship between POS and remote work satisfaction. This emphasizes that the support employees perceive from their organization directly impacts their engagement and stress levels, which in turn influence satisfaction. Additionally, the mediation results highlight the importance of managing stress and boosting engagement to enhance overall job satisfaction. Organizations should therefore aim to integrate robust support mechanisms and engagement practices, as these factors can significantly impact employee outcomes. Going forward with the research the second study and the longitudinal final study analyzed the evolving role of POS in hybrid work models, considering the engagement as pivotal, and the long-term effects of remote work on engagement promoted by an Onboarding processes formulated on the SRT 17 steps. The second study of this dissertation focuses on investigating how newcomers’ perceived organizational support (POS) can enhance organizational socialization, leading to better employee integration and overall organizational effectiveness in remote working environments, particularly in light of the new phenomena that emerged after COVID-19 (great resignation in Anglo American location). Study 2 provides compelling evidence for the role of Perceived Organizational Support (POS) in shaping the experiences of newcomers in remote work contexts, a strong positive correlation between POS and newcomer socialization supports the idea that organizational support facilitates the integration of newcomers, making them feel more connected and embedded within the company culture in the remote working condition. This aligns with Socialization Resources Theory, which suggests that organizational resources, such as support, are crucial for successful onboarding and integration processes (Saks & Gruman, 2018). Interestingly, for the newcomers in remote working condition, group of Italian people in study 2a, while POS positively predicts socialization, it doesn’t not directly influence remote work engagement or stress. These findings diverge from some of the existing traditional literature, which often shows that perceived support correlates with lower stress and higher engagement (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). This suggests that POS's impact on engagement and stress may be indirect, primarily operating through the socialization process. Another intriguing finding is the lack of significant relationships between both POS and remote work satisfaction, as well as newcomer socialization and remote work satisfaction. This suggests that while support and socialization foster integration and engagement, they may not directly translate into immediate job satisfaction in remote settings. This could reflect the complexity of remote work environments for newcomers, where other factors (e.g., work-life balance, autonomy) might play a more significant role in determining job satisfaction than socialization alone. The most noteworthy contribution of this research lies in the confirmed indirect effects of POS on remote work satisfaction. The sequential mediation model reveals that POS influences satisfaction indirectly, through both socialization and engagement and through socialization and stress. This highlights the multifaceted pathway through which POS impacts work outcomes, suggesting that organizational support fosters engagement and reduces stress by first facilitating socialization, and these processes, in turn, lead to greater satisfaction. From the study 2 on Italian newcomers group we keep continuing underline the role of Perceived Organizational Support in shaping the experiences of newcomers in remote work environments. While POS does not have a direct effect on engagement, stress, or job satisfaction, it significantly contributes to organizational socialization, which subsequently influences both engagement and stress levels. This finding reinforces the idea that organizational socialization serves as a key mechanism through which POS improves work outcomes. Moreover, the indirect effects of POS on remote work satisfaction through engagement and stress further underscore the importance of a supportive environment for newcomers. Organizations aiming to enhance employee engagement and reduce work-related stress should focus not only on providing support but also on improving socialization practices, especially in remote work settings providing resources accordingly with the Socialization Resources Theory (Sacks et al. 2011). In sum, this research provides important theoretical and practical insights by demonstrating that organizational support, though indirect, plays a central role in facilitating socialization, which then drives critical outcomes like engagement and stress reduction. Considering study 2b the interest was to focus the analysis on an AngloAmerican group of newcomers for 2 main reasons: 1) an unpredictable effect of the pandemic in the occupational landscape was the great resignation phenomenon, people were leaving their job and were adjusting to different work environment. 2) Anglo American are well known as performance based managerial culture, were task orientation is much more important than social orientation (Insalata et al., 2024). In this case Perceived Organizational Support (POS) predicted socialization in remote working contexts. The strong correlation between POS and organizational socialization aligns with previous research (the Italian group in study 2a as well), that indicates POS fosters employee integration into the organization (Allen et al., 2020). Newcomers who perceive higher levels of support from their organizations are more likely to engage in socialization behaviors, which are critical in adjusting to their roles, even when working remotely. In contrast with the traditional findings from literature which underline the positive correlation between POS and remote work engagement and suggest that support plays a vital role in motivating employees (Saks & Gruman, 2014); POS in the AngloAmerica group (as in the Italian group from study 2a) did not have a direct effect on engagement in the regression model, indicating that socialization might serve as a mediator in this relationship, a finding that partially aligns with Socialization Resources Theory. In contrast to engagement, POS had a direct negative impact on work-related stress which is consistent with the idea that organizational support acts as a buffer against stress (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). Interestingly, POS also correlated negatively with turnover intention reinforcing the notion that support reduces an employee's desire to leave the organization (Eisenberger et al., 1986). However, contrary to expectations, organizational socialization did not directly influence turnover intention, suggesting that while socialization facilitates integration and engagement, other factors may be more influential in reducing turnover. There is also a strong correlation between engagement and turnover intention, further emphasizing that work engagement is a critical predictor of retention (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004). In the context of stress, there was a negative relationship between engagement and stress, as seen in prior literature, which indicates that employees who are highly engaged are less likely to experience job-related stress (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007). The results of the sequential mediation model provide more nuanced insights. Specifically, POS's impact on turnover intention is partially mediated by socialization and work engagement, confirming the importance of engagement as a key mechanism through which POS impacts employee retention. However, the absence of a mediation effect via stress indicates that stress reduction alone does not significantly mediate the relationship between POS and turnover intentions, but that stress plays a secondary role. Overall Perceived Organizational Support has a pivotal role in promoting organizational socialization, remote work engagement, and reducing turnover intentions. POS has a direct and positive influence on reducing stress, fostering engagement, and lowering the desire to leave the organization, particularly in remote working environments. This study adds to the growing literature on remote work and socialization, emphasizing that organizational support plays a crucial role in newcomer adjustment and retention. However, the results indicate that the relationship between POS and turnover intention is partially mediated by engagement, suggesting that socialization and engagement are more influential mechanisms than stress alone in reducing employee turnover. These findings align with Organizational Support Theory and provide practical implications for managers seeking to enhance employee retention, especially in remote work settings. Through the longitudinal study the findings confirms the effectiveness of onboarding practices based on the 17 steps outlined in Socialization Resources Theory (SRT), enhancing organizational socialization for newcomers in remote work settings compared to traditional and unstructured onboarding methods. Th Onboarding practice based on STR and its 17 steps helped preventing the "hangover effect" among a group of remote-working newcomers over the course of one year in SIT Group Spa.